After a nice dinner off the Via Veneto in Rome, driving back to my hotel, a big bang. From behind. I assume a can of fizzy drink had blown open, drove on. A little car full of big men pulls alongside me gesticulating frantically. I wind down the window. CRACK he says, pointing at my front wheel. Big mistake - it was behind, not in front. He furiously gestures to me to pull over, grinning and pointing. They look like pantomime Mafia thugs or police (criminals and police tend to share looks). I smile and drive on. They pull alongside waving to me to pull over. I nod and wave them past me which they do, assuming I'll pull in behind them. I do a hairpin turn (I know Rome's streets very well - impossible for them to follow me). But I'm sure they were after the Rolls, seeing a stupid English queen. Not so stupid.

Well done sounds like smokey and the bandit post dinner..You should consider stunt driving...

But seriouly comic take on what would shake anyone up...I recall - just about! - being smashed leaving a party off Victoria Park - ģot in what I thought was a taxi and for a 5 min drive was asked for 50 quid. The knife the driver presented when I queried the fare was persuasive...

All not nice to say least, hope ur ok?

Yes - took it in my stride; just fascinated that so obvious a trick should be used (they must have had fire crackers or something) and wondered what happened to normal people who would probably have fallen for it. Would have told Italian police if I'd thought to record their number plate.

Your Roller - which I saw in Dorking once - has/had a distinct number plate.

Could that have been relevant?

Not in Rome - although with all the Catholic stuff going on....

Well done you!
I am very glad you are safe.
Its one close shave after another these days isn't it?

Sounds like The Italian Job! Glad to hear you got out of that situation.

Do you have a dashcam? It might have recorded the other car's number. (and also that you were not out enticing people with records you havent made yet)

Sadly no Honey; I'm so technologically 1960 I even gave away the SatNav my Mum gave me one Christmas because I kept arguing with the stupid lady speaking to me.

JK2006 wrote:
Sadly no Honey; I'm so technologically 1960 I even gave away the SatNav my Mum gave me one Christmas because I kept arguing with the stupid lady speaking to me.
My husband thinks the purpose of them is to outwit it and find a better route.
Only he never can.

Seems a growth industry!

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/richard-h...ac52e4b0cf7b0036ec77

And now John Alford appears to have "borrowed" a garbage truck!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6125683...police-officers.html